Temp slowly climbs up?

I'll try the 180 stat and yeah the bottom hose has the spring in it, i feel sure the rad just needs to be cleaned out real good(crosses fingers).Ohh yeah went for a ride earlier today and the damned heater core started leaking went ahead and took that out and the rad along with it and dropped it off at the rad shop ended up having to get a new heater core that one was to far gone ,but the guy looked at the rad and said he was preaty sure it was the problem, guess i'll find out for sure tomorrow when i put it back on.